Monday, July 23, 2012

Slow Cooker Purple Hull Peas.

I’m a big fan of the farmer’s market. We try to go every Saturday morning as a family to get the fruits and vegetables we will eat for the next week. We are fortunate to have a really good farmer’s market where everything is grown or produced in Arkansas. There are usually different homemade treats to enjoy and someone is usually there playing guitar and singing, which Slade really enjoys. The farmer’s market is one of my favorite outings and I look forward to it every week.

Purple hull peas have just started to make their appearance for the season. Purple hull peas may look like black-eyed peas but they taste so much better. Like the blueberries, I am buying peas for us to eat each week, as well as peas to freeze for the winter.

I remember spending hours shelling purple hull peas as a child. My Grandma J. would get a 5 gallon bucket or two of them from somewhere and we would sit outside shelling them for hours. While that was quality time with my grandma and I have wonderful memories of it, I have no desire to spend hours shelling peas. So now that I’m an adult I prefer to buy my peas already shelled. Perhaps when Slade gets older, I will make him sit outside and shell peas with me. Until then, I’m happy to let others do the work.

Before.

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After.

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Usually, I serve these peas with corn bread and fried potatoes, which is the kind of meal you could find at my Grandma J.’s house any day of the week.